Patterning devices for circular knitting machines



P. JOSEPH Sept. 9, 1969 PATTERNING DEVICES FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 22. 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 5 H v. E w W N 5 o E O V d W 8 R m P Sept. 9, 1969 P. JOSEPH 3 5 PATTERNING DEVICES FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 22, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet r:

INVENTOR. P/ERRE JOSE/3H :E/ TTOZ/VE Y5 P. JOSEPH Sept. 9, 1969 PATTERNING DEVICES FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 22, 1967 INVENTOR. pfERRE JOSEPH ZA'TTORZEVS Patented Sept. 9, 1969 3,465,547 PATTERNING DEVICES FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Pierre Joseph, Chambrelien, Neuchatel, Switzerland, as-

signor to Edouard Dubied & Cie, Societe Anonyme, Neuchatel, Switzerland Filed Aug. 22, 1967, Ser. No. 662,492 Claims priority, application Switzerland, Aug. 22, 1966, 12,062/ 66 Int. Cl. D04b 15/76 US. CI. 66-50 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A patterning device for a circular knitting machine has a plurality of selector wheels arranged along the circumference of the machine, and an endless travelling patterning band. Guiding means, such as rollers, for the patterning band are arranged for guiding the patterning band in such manner past the selector wheels that the band does not surround the machine axle in a closed loop.

This invention relates to a patterning device for a circular knitting machine having a plurality of selector wheels arranged along the circumference of the machine, and an endless travelling patterning band.

A primary object of the invention is the provision of a guiding arrangement for the patterning band which will allow one to place the patterning band on the machine and to remove it therefrom without requiring one to open the band, that is to say while leaving the band in its endless condition.

In a known patterning device according to US. Patent No. 2,691,879, an endless travelling patterning device is guided along a curved path around a group of selector devices for acting on them. Since knitting machines for two-sided knitted fabrics have a rib plate in addition to the needle cylinder, which plate is secured to a vertically suspended, central machine axle, it had not been possible, in conventional patterning devices, to dismantle the patterning band from the knitting machine, or to place it thereon without opening the endless band, or again securing the separated ends together.

The patterning device and the machine together form a structure resembling two interconnected chain links, one of the chain links being formed by the endless patterning band, and the second chain link being formed by the portion of the machine table opposite the band storage member, the machine supports, the bridge half and the machine axle, forming together a closed rectangle. There have been used rivetting apparatus which facilitate the closure of the band. When opening the band by filing off the rivets, the patterning band often was damaged and could no longer be used. One has tried to avoid this disadvantage by providing slip-on frames on the machine supports, on which the not used patterning bands were placed with the band serpentine extending around the machine axle resting somehow on the machine table. It will be easily appreciated that this expedient was detrimental to the survey and facility of inspection of the machine, and when setting up the machine for a knitting operation, the danger existed that the patterning band was buckled or kinked. It had also been proposed to connect the two ends of the patterning band by a kind of buckle closure, but such connecting members were not satisfactory because they substantially increased the bending resistance or stiffness of the band which was ruptured at the joints with the buckle. When securing the two ends of the patterning bands together by adhesive, similar inconveniences were experienced.

According to the present invention, the patterning device comprises guiding elements for the patterning band, said guiding elements being arranged for guiding the patterning band in such manner past said selector wheels that the band does not surround the machine axle in a closed loop.

The arrangement according to the invention is not cumbersome and requires little expenditure, since the members necessary for knitting unlimited patterns (copending US. patent application Ser. No. 621,659 can be used without modification for guiding the patterning band. Two embodiments of an apparatus according to the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 represents diagrammatically the pattern guide having a place of reversal formed by a deflecting roller;

FIGURE 2 shows a deflecting roller formed as a driver roller;

FIGURE 3 represents the pattern band guide having a place of reversal formed by a storage member.

In the embodiment represented in FIGURE 1, the patterning device is arranged on and laterally of the table 1 of a knitting machine. Vertical standards 2 and 2 support the machine table 1 on the floor and carry the bridge 3 extending above the table. A central, vertically suspended patterning wheel axle 4, hereafter termed machine axle, is rotatably guided in the bridge 3. A revolving needle cylinder 5 rotates concentrically with the axle 4 and in the same direction. The needles of the cylinder 5 are controlled in known manner by selector wheels or patterning wheels 6 (see US. Patent No. 2,691,879). These wheels in turn are controlled in known manner by a patterning band 20 (as disclosed in said earlier patent). For this purpose, the patterning band 20 is contacted along a path or flight 22 by all selector wheels 6; its direction of travel is opposite to that of the cylinder 5 but in the same direction as that of the rotation of the pattern wheels. At the end of the circularly curved portion of the patterning band is provided a place of reversal 18 at which the band is deflected into a second path or flight 21 in which it travels in the same direction as the needle cylinder 5 but in the opposite direction to that of the rotation of the pattern wheels. The place of reversal is formed by a deflecting roller 7 which at the same time can be formed as driving roller for the band. In order to positively drive the deflecting roller 7, this latter is coupled with the cylinder 5 as is described with reference to FIGURE 2.

The second path 21 is guided in such manner that it does not act upon the selector wheels 6. The path 21 0f the band must pass between the machine axis 4 and the standards 2, 2'. For this purpose, band guides 12 are disposed on the machine. These guides are U-shaped in cross section. They are secured by brackets 15 to the casings 16 of the selector wheels.

The patterning band 20 rests with its edge 37 (FIG. 2) on the bottom 14 of the U-shaped guide channel and its faces 38, 39 are situated between the branches 13 of the U-shaped channel.

At the end of the two paths 21, 22 of the band which is just opposite the deflecting roller 7, there are provided two guide rollers 10, 11 which deflect the band 20 towards the storage member 8. These guide rollers preferably are also formed as driving rollers and are similarly formed as the driving roller 7 to be described with reference to FIGURE 2.

The patterning band travelling along the path 21 is applied against its guide rollers 7 and 10 by a supporting roller 25 and by the guide roller 11.

A second storage member 9 and the corresponding patterning band paths 24 and 26 are shown with dotted lines in FIGURE 1. The use of a second hand storage member 9 permits to store a patterning band of double length, which will be required for knitting more elaborate patterns. When using two storage members 8 and 9, obviously the portion 24 of the pattern band path will not exist, but the pattern band will pass from the roller 11 to the storage member 9 and from their via the guide roller 19 to the storage member 8.

The storage members 8 and 9 are of conventional construction as is well known in knitting machines of the described type. They are driven by a motor 17, but they could also be connected to the machine drive.

FIGURE 2 represents the deflecting and driving roller 7 which deflects the patterning band 20 at the point of reversal 18 from one of the curved paths to the other curved path. The band is provided with punched perforations 27 regularly spaced longitudinally of the band, and the roller 7 has its periphery provided with projecting pins 32 circumferentially spaced to correspond to the punched perforations 27 and adapted to engage the perforations. The speed of the patterning band must have a predetermined fixed ratio with respect to the speed of the needle bed. This is obtained by providing a pinion 34 carried by a shaft 33 which is journalled in the machine table 1. The deflecting roller 7 is secured to the shaft 33. The pinion 34 is driven by the intermediary of a gear wheel 35 from a gear ring 36 which is carried by the revolving needle bed 5. The roller 7 has its opposite faces provided with flanged discs 30 and 31 which facilitate the inspection of the patterning band.

The rows of punched perforations 28, 29 in the patterning band coact with the selector wheels 6. In conventional knitting machines the patterning bands must be provided with at least two longitudinal rows of punched perforations (Swiss Patent 237,611).

The deflecting or driving rollers 10, 11 and 25 are of similar construction as the roller 7.

The patterning device shown in FIGURE 3 comprises two storage members 8, 9 which at the same time are formed as reversing devices for the travelling patterning band. The roller 7 serves as guide roller and the guide roller 25' is formed as driving roller, similar to the roller 7 in FIGURE 2. Except for these differences, the construction of this modification is the same as shown in FIGURE 1. The radius of curvature at the deflecting rollers 10, 11, and 7', 25, is greater than in the arrangement shown in FIGURE 1, which fact is advantageous for the working life of the patterning bands.

I claim:

1. A patterning device for circular knitting machines having a plurality of selector wheels arranged along the circumference of the machine about its axle and an endless traveling pattern band for engaging the selector wheels for operation thereof in accord with a selected pattern, guiding means to guide said patterning band as a pair of flights, one of which engages with and operates said selector wheels and the other of which is out of engagement with said wheels, said guiding means being disposed so that the patterning band guided thereby does not form a closed loop around said axle, the engaging flight moving in the same direction as that of the rotation of the pattern wheels about said axle and the second flight moving in the opposite direction.

2. A patterning device for circular knitting machines according to claim 1, said knitting machine comprising a plurality of machine standards with said axle situated within said plurality of standards and wherein the separate flights of said hand both are disposed around the axle in a loop that is not closed.

3. A patterning device according to claim 1 including band deflecting means for reversing the direction of travel of the flights of the band at the regions of transfer from one flight to the other.

4. A patterning device according to claim 3, wherein said deflecting means for said band is a roller.

5. A patterning device according to claim 4, wherein said roller is a driving roller for the band.

6. A patterning device according to claim 3, wherein at least one of said band deflecting means is a band storage member.

7. A patterning device for circular knitting machines according to claim 1 including casings for said selector wheels, said band guiding means being secured to said casings.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,229,692 1/1941 Crimmins 66--25 XR 2,611,253 9/1952 Diem. 3,225,567 12/1965 Seiler 6650 3,229,482 1/ 1966 Farmer 66-50 FOREIGN PATENTS 267,661 3/ 1927 Great Britain.

OTHER REFERENCES The Hosiery Trade Journal, vol. 71, No. 841, January 1964, pp. 86, 87, and 91.

WM. CARTER REYNOLDS, Primary Examiner 

